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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. swing — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — to protest
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. swing — to play on
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. snap — to click
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rock — music
  22. object — a thing
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com